DECLUTTERING your home isn’t just a good way to make space, it can also earn you money.
Catherine, a 28-year-old entrepreneur living in London, made £100 in just twenty minutes by selling unwanted clothing on Twig, an app she found by chance.
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Getting rid of just three items – a Karl Lagerfeld top, Talbots trousers and a Ralph Lauren collared shirt – netted the interior designer £98 on her very first time using the app.
Unlike Vinted or eBay where you’re selling to the public, with Twig you sell your items to the company itself. This means you get cash fast.
Catherine told The Sun: “With the cost of living increasing everywhere, it’s really helpful to earn instantly rather than waiting around for weeks for a potential buyer to bite.”
Catherine says she typically makes between £50 and £100 each month getting rid of things she no longer needs or uses.
She’s used the money wisely, reinvesting it in her interior design business Decorialist.
But she’s also managed to fund a trip home to California to see her family with her husband.
“Of course it depends on what you’re selling but I think for the average person, anywhere from £30 to £150 a month can be extremely helpful,” she says.
“Whether it goes towards a mortgage, groceries, a wedding or just covering your phone bill.
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“Even the smaller amounts can still add up to paying for larger expenses over time.”
Turn your old clothes into cash
Catherine says it pays to be ruthless with your wardrobe, electronics and books.
Her top-selling tips are to make sure your item is in good condition, there are no tears or stains and wash everything before you sell.
She says that trousers, dresses, skirts, jumpers, collared shirts and suits all tend to do well and that mid- to high-end brands perform best.
She’s sold clothes from Ralph Lauren, The White Company and Lululemon.
“If I haven’t worn something in a year I will put it in a sell pile,” says Catherine.
“Trust me, you won’t miss it once it’s gone – even if you think you will.”
Reasons to declutter
Catherine says she found it hard to start selling her old things at first.
“But once you start, it’s incredibly refreshing and rewarding,” she says.
“You realise they are just material things and there are more important things in life.
“Being financially rewarded for clearing out your closet while helping the environment by recycling – it’s a win-win.”
As well as the cash benefits of selling stuff online, Catherine is effusive about the rewards of having a regular declutter.
These include improvements in mental health as well as using the circular economy to be environmentally responsible.
She says: “I don’t think many people realise the benefits of having a clean and clutter free environment.
“There are so many frightening studies that show the consequences of living with too many belongings, from a mental health perspective.
“You’re doing yourself a favour by keeping only the clothes that you actually wear, and clearing out on a regular basis.”
Other ways to sell old clothes
There are loads of apps offering similar services to the one Catherine uses.
eBay is a popular option, allowing people to list items for auction or for ‘buy it now’ prices.
Vinted is another commonly-used platform, specialising in pre-loved clothes and accessories.
If you don’t want the hassle of listing your items yourself, there are resellers such as sellmystuff.co.uk, but they come with a hefty price tag of a third of the money you make.
If you want the human touch, you could try car boot sales, or local bring-and-buy sales. Or there’s the online equivalent – Facebook Marketplace.
It’s also worth looking at MusicMagpie.co.uk, which is great for getting rid of CDs, games, electronics and even Lego.
Specialist items might do best on a bespoke site, for instance, stillwhite.com will let you flog your wedding dress rather than leaving it in the attic to moulder.
Webuybooks.co.uk is a good way to get rid of unwanted books, and all you need is the ISBN number.
Catherine says she prefers Twig as it’s quicker to sell and get the money in your pocket.
“Then there are the added benefits of knowing that not only are you being financially rewarded, but you’re impacting the environment in a positive way,” she says.
“With your earned money, you can plant a tree through a small one-off contribution and Twig shows you how many kgs of CO2 you’re offsetting.
“For example, I’ve offset 9.47 kgs of CO2 and planted three trees.”
Get started
If you want to follow Catherine’s lead and sell on Twig, here’s how to get started.
- To get a valuation, you simply upload photos of the item you want to sell, and Twig lets you know what it will pay in seconds.
- The valuation is based on its database of prices of both new and second-hand products. Twig says it evaluates the highest and lowest prices to give you the best offer.
- If a brand isn’t in the database, you won’t be able to sell there, but you can request for brands to be added in future updates.
- Once you’ve got your valuation, you are sent a Royal Mail shipping label that you take to your local post office along with your items.
- When they’ve received your parcel, they’ll deduct the postage cost and transfer the rest of your earnings.
- Twig then sells your items through the second hand market, or upcycles or donates them.
- One thing to be aware of is that while it is free to spend your earnings at companies registered with Twig, if you want to send the money to your bank account there is a 3% charge.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
